Who will be the first of this season's Top 10 American Idol finalists to get eliminated? Is Devin Velez's home too temporary? Does Curtis Finch Jr., believe he can stay? Will Janelle Arthur be the first girl gone? Tune in tonight and find out -- then tell me what you thought. -- Brian Mansfield

Ryan Seacrest introduces a line of not 10 but 11 singers as the show opens -- at the end of the line, it's a grinning Phillip Phillips, with two thumbs up. Phillips mouths, "This ... is ... American Idol," as Seacrest actually says it.

Phillips and Bon Jovi are guests tonight. And the Top 10 sing Owl City and Yuna's new song Shine Your Way from The Croods movie.

This is also the night with a sing-off between the runner-up girl and the runner-up guy, vying for a spot on the tour.

"It's clear to me that the girls are just out-performing the boys," Jimmy Iovine says. Like we didn't already know that. Jimmy also thinks ... Curtis Finch Jr. won't get past the Top Eight if he doesn't cut out the urban gospel ballads. He's completely sold, though, on Janelle Arthur. He's an overall fan of Devin Velez, but he didn't like his Temporary Home. Angie Miller's a real talent, he says, and she's magnificent when she does her own material. Paul Jolley picked a pretty good song, but Iovine doesn't get why he thinks he's a country singer.

Candice Glover just nailed it and won the night. If Nicki Minaj thought he was rough on Lazaro Arbos, that was a bubble bath; he's going to have to learn to handle the criticism. As for Kree Harrison, "this girl knows the material that she can sing, one of the few artists that can pick her own material ... She's in my Top Three." Burnell was by far the best guy, "1,000%." Amber Holcomb ranks high in the overall star and charisma categories; she's also in his Top Three.

That matters, because not only will American Idol give us a Bottom Three tonight, we get a Top Three, too. (Yay!)

***

Note to Curtis Finch Jr.: Remember back in Group Night when you said you wanted Charlie Askew to go home because you were trying to win and he was just the competition in your way? America remembered that. It didn't matter how well you sang after that. Even if the judges save you, you won't last two more weeks.

But will they?

"I'm completely shocked," Mariah Carey says. "This entire situation has been about Curtis, in a lot of ways, for me."

But did all the judges agree to use the save?

"We are not unanimous, unfortunately," Randy Jackson says. Nicki Minaj doesn't feel like there was enough discussion. "I know it's a live show," she says.

***

Wow, more rankings! In fourth place, so safe, Lazaro Arbos. In fifth place, also safe, Amber Holcomb. No major surprises so far.

Sixth place: Janelle Arthur. Seventh: Burnell Taylor.

That means the Bottom Three includes Paul Jolley in eighth (something of a surprise). Devin Velez and Curtis Finch Jr. got the fewest votes. Which is no surprise, though Keith Urban seems to think it is.

"You guys just have to get the right songs, and it's a game change," Urban says. Nicki Minaj feels Finch definitely shouldn't have been in the Bottom Two. "If you're going home, I'm going home," she says.

***

We're going to get results fast when they finally come. We've only learned that Candice Glover and Kree Harrison are in the Top Three, and we're nearly 40 minutes into the show. And now it's time for Phillip Phillips to sing Gone, Gone, Gone, which is a nice follow-up to Home but won't be nearly as big a hit unless it gets an Olympics-size placement, which being Idol's farewell song isn't anymore. But I like the horns in the bridge.

As he finishes, Randy Jackson walks to the stage -- to present Phillips with a quadruple-platinum plaque for Home sales.

Now, back to business. Who will we love long after they're gone, gone, gone?

Lazaro Arbos and Angie Milller, both of whom sang Kelly Clarkson last night. But only one made the Top Three. Miller got 17% of the Florida vote, but Arbos beat her there. But in the national poll, Miller came out on top.

Tonight's Top Three: Angie Miller, Candice Glover, Kree Harrison. Who wants to bet that's the Top Three for the season, too?

***

Who woulda guessed? Charlie Askew finished sixth in the guys voting during the semifinals. He's back tonight to sing an original song called Sky Blue Diamond in hopes of finding a spot on the tour. It's got a lovely melody, like you might hear on a solo album by former Yes frontman Jon Anderson. He's all over the place vocally, but if he'd sung this song last week, he might still be on the show this week.

He wrote the song a few months ago, he told Ryan Seacrest, in the throes of continuing a relationship or pursuing American Idol.

Competing for the tour spot with Askew, it's Aubrey Cleland. She has chosen Out Here on My Own. Sometimes she wonders who she is, does she fit in. Well, she fits into this group of finalists, which loves this sort of ballad. But, man, are we going to have enough of these on the tour. I'm going with Askew.

***

Bon Jovi's up, with new single Because We Can. It's a catchy singalong anthem full of encouraging lyrics, the sort of thing that'll fit nicely into the set list for a tour or two but will never replace one of the catalog classics.

***

The Top 10 sing the new Shine Your Way from The Croods. And with almost every solo line (I'm looking at you, Devin Velez and Burnell Taylor), we see why most of the contestants have no business picking their own material. Curtis Finch Jr. manages to chew up the lines he's given, over-singing them at an unbelievable level. Nice song, though.

Ryan Seacrest sends the singers back to their seats - except for Kree Harrison, the pride of Woodville, Texas. Idol has brought in the mayor of Woodville to tell Harrison that the entire town is voting for her. "We always want you to know that you're welcome back home in Woodville, Texas" -- and he gives her a key to the city.

"I have what I think might be better news," says Seacrest. "You're in the Top Three."

So we've got eight more results to learn. And "someone's going to have to sing for their life."

It's official! We've got a judges' save this year!

***

We get demographic information, too: Janelle Arthur was No. 1 in her home state of Tennessee. Devin Velez got more than 25% of the Puerto Rican vote. Candice Glover got 42% of the votes from South Carolina. One of them is in the Top Three. No surprise: It's Glover.

Does this mean that Arthur or Velez is in the Bottom Three? We'll find out soon.